Mother and Baby Homes — Republic of Ireland
The establishments listed below are believed to have provided at least some accommodation
for unmarried mothers and their babies, during at least some of their existence.
They include maternity homes, before-and-after-confinement care homes, hostels for
pregnant working girls or working mothers, and Irish County Homes.
Homes that in their day were labelled Magdalen Homes are listed elsewhere.
Where applicable, the 'Places' column shows the accommodation provided for
mothers and babies (exact figures could change over time).
Note that over the years, many institutions changed location and/or name, sometimes more than once.
The accommodation provided, age of those admitted etc. at a home could also vary.
Co. Cavan
| Name and Location | Founded/Opened | Closed/Moved | Classes Received, Weekly fees, etc. | Places | Admission Age |
|---|
|
| County Home, Cathedral Road, Cavan | 1921 | | Inmates included unmarried mothers and their babies | | |
Co. Clare
Co. Cork
| Name and Location | Founded/Opened | Closed/Moved | Classes Received, Weekly fees, etc. | Places | Admission Age |
|---|
|
| West Cork County Home, Convent Road, Clonakilty | 1920s | | Inmates included unmarried mothers and their babies | | |
| Cork County Home / St Finbarr's, Douglas Road, Cork | 1922 | c.1964 | Inmates included unmarried mothers and their babies | | |
| Bessborough Mother and Baby Home, Blackrock, Cork | 1922 | 1999 | Unmarried mothers and their babies | 25m/25b | |
| North Cork Auxiliary Home, The Showgrounds, Fermoy | 1922 | | Unmarried mothers and their babies | | |
Co. Donegal
Co. Dublin
| Name and Location | Founded/Opened | Closed/Moved | Classes Received, Weekly fees, etc. | Places | Admission Age |
|---|
|
| Dublin Bethany Home, 23-25 Blackhall Place, Dublin | 1922 | 1934 | Unmarried mothers and women in distress. | 24 | no limit |
| St Gerard's, 39 Mountjoy Square, Dublin | 1919 | 1938 | Fee-paying privatecases and 'select destitute cases'. | 20m/12b | |
| St Gerard's, Herbert Avenue, Merrion Road, Dublin | 1938 | 1939 | Fee-paying privatecases and 'select destitute cases'. | 20m/12b | |
| Miss Carr's Flatlets, 16 (later 5) Northbrook Road, Ranelagh, Dublin | 1972 | | Mothers and babies moving towards independent living. | 8m/8b | |
| Eglinton House, 75 Eglinton Road, Dublin | 1986 | 1998 | | 13m/18b | |
| Dublin Magdalen Asylum, 8 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin | 1765 | 1959 | Respectable class on first fall; free; maternity cases before and after first confinement; remain two years. Protestants only. | 20 | under 20 |
| Dublin Magdalen Asylum / Denny House, 83 Eglinton Road, Dublin | 1959 | 1994 | Unmarried mothers and their babies. | 7m/7b | |
| Belmont Flatlets, Belmont Avenue, Dublin | 1980 | 2001 | Mothers and babies moving towards independent living. | 11m/11b | |
| St Patrick's Home, Navan Road, Pelletstown, Dublin | 1919 | 1985 | Unmarried mothers and their babies. | | |
| Regina Coeli Hostel, North Brunswick Street, Dublin | 1930 | 1998 | Unmarried mothers and their babies. | | |
| Dublin Bethany Home, Orwell Road, Rathgar, Dublin | 1934 | 1972 | Unmarried mothers and their babies. | | |
| Templeogue Nursery Rescue Home, Little Fortfield, Templeogue Road, Templeogue | 1910 | | First fall maternity cases. Remain 6 months after birth of baby. Payment when possible. | 12 | no limit |
Co. Galway
Co. Kerry
| Name and Location | Founded/Opened | Closed/Moved | Classes Received, Weekly fees, etc. | Places | Admission Age |
|---|
|
| County Home, Rock Road, Killarney | 1921 | | Inmates included unmarried mothers and their babies | | |
Co. Kildare
| Name and Location | Founded/Opened | Closed/Moved | Classes Received, Weekly fees, etc. | Places | Admission Age |
|---|
|
| County Home, Woodstock Street, Athy | 1922 | | Inmates included unmarried mothers and their babies | | |
Co. Kilkenny
| Name and Location | Founded/Opened | Closed/Moved | Classes Received, Weekly fees, etc. | Places | Admission Age |
|---|
|
| County Home, Chapel Lane, Thomastown | 1922 | | Inmates included unmarried mothers and their babies | | |
Queen's County (Co. Laois)
| Name and Location | Founded/Opened | Closed/Moved | Classes Received, Weekly fees, etc. | Places | Admission Age |
|---|
|
| St Columbkille's County Home, St Joseph's Terrace, Mountmellick | 1922 | | Inmates included unmarried mothers and their babies | | |
Co. Leitrim
| Name and Location | Founded/Opened | Closed/Moved | Classes Received, Weekly fees, etc. | Places | Admission Age |
|---|
|
| County Home, Station Road, Manorhamilton | 1922 | | Inmates included unmarried mothers and their babies | | |
Co. Limerick
| Name and Location | Founded/Opened | Closed/Moved | Classes Received, Weekly fees, etc. | Places | Admission Age |
|---|
|
| Borough Home, Shelbourne Road, Limerick | 1922 | | Inmates included unmarried mothers and their babies | | |
| County Home, Gortboy, Newcastle West | 1922 | | Inmates included unmarried mothers and their babies | | |
Co. Longford
| Name and Location | Founded/Opened | Closed/Moved | Classes Received, Weekly fees, etc. | Places | Admission Age |
|---|
|
| County Home, Dublin Road, Longford | 1922 | | Inmates included unmarried mothers and their babies | | |
Co. Louth
Co. Mayo
| Name and Location | Founded/Opened | Closed/Moved | Classes Received, Weekly fees, etc. | Places | Admission Age |
|---|
|
| County Home, Davitt's Terrace, Castlebar | 1922 | | Inmates included unmarried mothers and their babies | | |
Co. Meath
Co. Monaghan
| Name and Location | Founded/Opened | Closed/Moved | Classes Received, Weekly fees, etc. | Places | Admission Age |
|---|
|
| County Home, Laurel Hill, Castleblayney | 1921 | | Inmates included unmarried mothers and their babies | | |
King's County (Co. Offaly)
| Name and Location | Founded/Opened | Closed/Moved | Classes Received, Weekly fees, etc. | Places | Admission Age |
|---|
|
| County Home, Emmett Road, Tullamore | 1922 | | Inmates included unmarried mothers and their babies | | |
Co. Roscommon
| Name and Location | Founded/Opened | Closed/Moved | Classes Received, Weekly fees, etc. | Places | Admission Age |
|---|
|
| County Home, Golf Links Road, Roscommon | 1921 | | Inmates included unmarried mothers and their babies | | |
Co. Sligo
| Name and Location | Founded/Opened | Closed/Moved | Classes Received, Weekly fees, etc. | Places | Admission Age |
|---|
|
| County Home, Ballytivnan Road, Sligo | 1922 | | Inmates included unmarried mothers and their babies | | |
Co. Tipperary
| Name and Location | Founded/Opened | Closed/Moved | Classes Received, Weekly fees, etc. | Places | Admission Age |
|---|
|
| County Home, Deer Park Road, Cashel | 1922 | | Inmates included unmarried mothers and their babies | | |
| Sean Ross Mother and Baby Home, Short Corville Road, Roscrea | 1931 | 1969 | Unamrried mothers and their babies. | | |
| County Home, Castlemeadows, Thurles | 1922 | | Inmates included unmarried mothers and their babies | | |
Co. Waterford
| Name and Location | Founded/Opened | Closed/Moved | Classes Received, Weekly fees, etc. | Places | Admission Age |
|---|
|
| County Home, Springmount, Dungarvan | 1922 | | Inmates included unmarried mothers and their babies | | |
Co. Westmeath
Co. Wexford
| Name and Location | Founded/Opened | Closed/Moved | Classes Received, Weekly fees, etc. | Places | Admission Age |
|---|
|
| County Home, Munster Hill, Enniscorthy | 1922 | | Inmates included unmarried mothers and their babies | | |
Co. Wicklow
| Name and Location | Founded/Opened | Closed/Moved | Classes Received, Weekly fees, etc. | Places | Admission Age |
|---|
|
| County Home, Union Lane, Rathdrum | 1920s | | Inmates included unmarried mothers and their babies | | |
Except where indicated, this page () © Peter Higginbotham. Contents may not be reproduced without permission.
